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Weber State College Vol. 45 No.42 See page 8. Tuesday, April 9, 1985 Proposed hour stirs controversy among faculty by Dan Dickson Managing Editor The proposed open hour policy, which will go into effect fall quarter, has stirred up controversy among many faculty members. There will be a meeting of the General Faculty Thursday April 11, to discuss issues concerning the open hour proposal. The meeting will be at 2 p.m. in the Smith Lecture Hall of the Wattis Business Building. A petition has been received with sufficient faculty signatures to have a faculty referendum on the Open Hour proposal which was passed in the Faculty Senate meeting on March 28. Subsequent to this meeting, faculty members will receive a mail ballot to vote on the issue. In a memo to the Faculty received Friday April 5, Dr. Robert Smith, Vice President of Academic Affairs, said .the open hour will go into effect fall quarter, 1986. The hour is set for Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. Dr. Smith said he would have liked to see the open hour two days a week, but due to the faculty opposition, the open hour will be just one day a week. Dr. Smith said he also considered not starting the open hour until winter quarter, but decided on this fall because what happens in the fall sets the pattern for the rest of the year. "I am willing to take the risk. The decision had to be made right away so we could go on with our scheduling for fall quarter," Smith said. ASWSC Executive Vice President Craig Jacobson was disappointed in the open hour only being one day a week, but said he understood the situation. "Two hours a week would give us a chance to develop a better program, but we will still attempt to make the program valid. We are disappointed we didn't get the two hours. If we make the program work we can get the extra hour at another date." The main gripe the faculty members have is with the scheduling of classes around the open hour. Charles Crittendum of the Computer Sciences said, "We are already having enough problems with scheduling. We are being bounced around from class room to class room as it is. The open hour will now make it more difficult for us. The 10:30 hour is a prime time hour. Students will now be forced to take classes at 7:30. We are going to have a heck of a time scheduling classes." Robert Irvine of the Math Department, another opponent of the open hour said, "We are not against the principle of the thing, but we don't like the idea of giving up an hour of prime time and getting nothing in return. It is not worth the trade off. We asked for another hour as it is. The open hour will cause us numerous scheduling problems. Why can't they make it at 12:30?" Almost all math classes are five hour classes, and along with the other five hour classes they will not be able to be taught at all during the 10:30 hour. Irvine also said the students didn't do their research to see how many classes would be affected with the open hour policy. The secret vote by the faculty could possibly change or reverse the open hour proposal. But according to Jacobson the open hour is set and the faculty vote won't change anything. Irvine did say the fall class schedules'haven't been set yet. Thursday's meeting will have a lot to do with the final outcome of the open hour proposal. Stvut'usl pliuUi.'t-.ric L'hnsU'nsen Chemistry students Brad Cragun lei t and Steve Sabin right are in the process of making manganese using the Goldschmidt Reaction. They are ready to light a powder Jand metal mixture. The powder burns with ?thc fire and smoke rising over six feet high . jas the iron melts together. When it tools Jthe hardened powder-iron mixture is ipped away to reveal a magnesium abutlon. Magnesium is a useful ingredient lin stainless steel. Committee proposes basic skills revision by Rae Dawn Olbert Editor-in-Chief The General Education Admissions and Standards Committee held an open hearing yesterday to discuss proposed changes regarding basic skills proficiency.Upon revision of the policy, it will be presented to the faculty senate for approval. Dr. Craig Gundy, chair of the General Education Committee, and Diane Kawamura, chair of the Ad missions and Standards Committee, presented the policy revisions and entertained questions. Gundy said the reason for the revision is due to "unnecessarily negative" phrasing in the current policy. He said the administration feels the wording would have an undesirable effect on recruiting and enrollment, cutting it in half. The policy for freshman English placement is: students with English ACT scores of 14 or less will be placed in English 100; students with scores of 15 through 17 will be placed in English 100, unless they choose to take an English writing exam to determine if they are eligible to take English 101; students with a score of 18 or above will automatically be eligible for English 101. The policy recommendation states that approximately one-third of incoming freshmen have English ACT scores of 14 or less and approximately one-fifth of incoming freshmen have scores of 15 through 17. Concern was voiced over this policy -what does the ACT really measure and does Weber teach the material the ACT test measures? Dr. Merlin Cheney, English professor, said the department does have a second test that, when used in conjunction with the ACT, will measure the student's knowledge of the material taught at Weber. But, said Cheney, because of the time involved in administering the second test (one. hour to complete and 20 minutes to score), it is not widely used. The policy for mathematics placement is: students placed in math 105 based on a predicted GPA of 2.0. Those who predict less than 2.0 should take math 100 or 101 based on placement test results. The student's grades from all high school courses and his scores on the ACT test are used to predict a student's G.PA in a math course. Students with math scores of 11 or less will be placed in math 100 or 101 ; students with scores oi 12 through 14 will be placed in math 101, unless (sec SKILLS on page 3) Students vote on ASWSC Senate change by TedAnn Olsen Staff Reporter Students will have an opportunity to change the position of the bachelor of general studiesHonors senator to general studies senator in the ASWSC primaries April 17 and 18. The student senate voted unanimously to change the position in their Monday, April 8 meeting. Greg Matson, this year's BGShonors senator, said this change is just a continuation of the reforms made last year in student government. This position is part of the eight senators under academic life and represents honor students and students who are working toward bachelor degrees in general studies. "These students are already covered by other academic senators, while undeclared majors or general studies students are left unrepresented on the academic side of the senate," said Matson. Matson said most entering freshmen fall into the undeclared major category. In place of an honors week sponsored by the BGShonors senator, a "Declare a Major Week" could be planned instead, he said.

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Weber State College Vol. 45 No.42 See page 8. Tuesday, April 9, 1985 Proposed hour stirs controversy among faculty by Dan Dickson Managing Editor The proposed open hour policy, which will go into effect fall quarter, has stirred up controversy among many faculty members. There will be a meeting of the General Faculty Thursday April 11, to discuss issues concerning the open hour proposal. The meeting will be at 2 p.m. in the Smith Lecture Hall of the Wattis Business Building. A petition has been received with sufficient faculty signatures to have a faculty referendum on the Open Hour proposal which was passed in the Faculty Senate meeting on March 28. Subsequent to this meeting, faculty members will receive a mail ballot to vote on the issue. In a memo to the Faculty received Friday April 5, Dr. Robert Smith, Vice President of Academic Affairs, said .the open hour will go into effect fall quarter, 1986. The hour is set for Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. Dr. Smith said he would have liked to see the open hour two days a week, but due to the faculty opposition, the open hour will be just one day a week. Dr. Smith said he also considered not starting the open hour until winter quarter, but decided on this fall because what happens in the fall sets the pattern for the rest of the year. "I am willing to take the risk. The decision had to be made right away so we could go on with our scheduling for fall quarter," Smith said. ASWSC Executive Vice President Craig Jacobson was disappointed in the open hour only being one day a week, but said he understood the situation. "Two hours a week would give us a chance to develop a better program, but we will still attempt to make the program valid. We are disappointed we didn't get the two hours. If we make the program work we can get the extra hour at another date." The main gripe the faculty members have is with the scheduling of classes around the open hour. Charles Crittendum of the Computer Sciences said, "We are already having enough problems with scheduling. We are being bounced around from class room to class room as it is. The open hour will now make it more difficult for us. The 10:30 hour is a prime time hour. Students will now be forced to take classes at 7:30. We are going to have a heck of a time scheduling classes." Robert Irvine of the Math Department, another opponent of the open hour said, "We are not against the principle of the thing, but we don't like the idea of giving up an hour of prime time and getting nothing in return. It is not worth the trade off. We asked for another hour as it is. The open hour will cause us numerous scheduling problems. Why can't they make it at 12:30?" Almost all math classes are five hour classes, and along with the other five hour classes they will not be able to be taught at all during the 10:30 hour. Irvine also said the students didn't do their research to see how many classes would be affected with the open hour policy. The secret vote by the faculty could possibly change or reverse the open hour proposal. But according to Jacobson the open hour is set and the faculty vote won't change anything. Irvine did say the fall class schedules'haven't been set yet. Thursday's meeting will have a lot to do with the final outcome of the open hour proposal. Stvut'usl pliuUi.'t-.ric L'hnsU'nsen Chemistry students Brad Cragun lei t and Steve Sabin right are in the process of making manganese using the Goldschmidt Reaction. They are ready to light a powder Jand metal mixture. The powder burns with ?thc fire and smoke rising over six feet high . jas the iron melts together. When it tools Jthe hardened powder-iron mixture is ipped away to reveal a magnesium abutlon. Magnesium is a useful ingredient lin stainless steel. Committee proposes basic skills revision by Rae Dawn Olbert Editor-in-Chief The General Education Admissions and Standards Committee held an open hearing yesterday to discuss proposed changes regarding basic skills proficiency.Upon revision of the policy, it will be presented to the faculty senate for approval. Dr. Craig Gundy, chair of the General Education Committee, and Diane Kawamura, chair of the Ad missions and Standards Committee, presented the policy revisions and entertained questions. Gundy said the reason for the revision is due to "unnecessarily negative" phrasing in the current policy. He said the administration feels the wording would have an undesirable effect on recruiting and enrollment, cutting it in half. The policy for freshman English placement is: students with English ACT scores of 14 or less will be placed in English 100; students with scores of 15 through 17 will be placed in English 100, unless they choose to take an English writing exam to determine if they are eligible to take English 101; students with a score of 18 or above will automatically be eligible for English 101. The policy recommendation states that approximately one-third of incoming freshmen have English ACT scores of 14 or less and approximately one-fifth of incoming freshmen have scores of 15 through 17. Concern was voiced over this policy -what does the ACT really measure and does Weber teach the material the ACT test measures? Dr. Merlin Cheney, English professor, said the department does have a second test that, when used in conjunction with the ACT, will measure the student's knowledge of the material taught at Weber. But, said Cheney, because of the time involved in administering the second test (one. hour to complete and 20 minutes to score), it is not widely used. The policy for mathematics placement is: students placed in math 105 based on a predicted GPA of 2.0. Those who predict less than 2.0 should take math 100 or 101 based on placement test results. The student's grades from all high school courses and his scores on the ACT test are used to predict a student's G.PA in a math course. Students with math scores of 11 or less will be placed in math 100 or 101 ; students with scores oi 12 through 14 will be placed in math 101, unless (sec SKILLS on page 3) Students vote on ASWSC Senate change by TedAnn Olsen Staff Reporter Students will have an opportunity to change the position of the bachelor of general studiesHonors senator to general studies senator in the ASWSC primaries April 17 and 18. The student senate voted unanimously to change the position in their Monday, April 8 meeting. Greg Matson, this year's BGShonors senator, said this change is just a continuation of the reforms made last year in student government. This position is part of the eight senators under academic life and represents honor students and students who are working toward bachelor degrees in general studies. "These students are already covered by other academic senators, while undeclared majors or general studies students are left unrepresented on the academic side of the senate," said Matson. Matson said most entering freshmen fall into the undeclared major category. In place of an honors week sponsored by the BGShonors senator, a "Declare a Major Week" could be planned instead, he said.